JP7794066B2 - Grass harvesting and collection vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a work vehicle that travels through a park or other area and has a leading vehicle that mows the grass there and a trailing vehicle that collects the grass, and in particular to its control system.

A known control system for a work vehicle is one in which a leading work vehicle equipped with a grass collection machine that pushes grass clippings scattered on the ground to either the left or right of the vehicle's direction of travel, and a following vehicle equipped with a packing machine that packs the collected grass clippings into rolls while traveling based on the leading vehicle's travel path, are both driven automatically (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-105794

According to Patent Document 1, the working speed of the leading work vehicle was set uniformly, but because it was necessary to set a working speed with some leeway to avoid overloading, it was difficult to efficiently carry out work that made the most of the working capacity of the leading work vehicle.

The present invention aims to provide a control system for a work vehicle that can efficiently perform grass cutting work automatically.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 comprises a dedicated mowing machine (1) that mows grass while traveling, and a dedicated grass collection machine (2) that collects and recovers grass, the dedicated mowing machine (1) and the dedicated grass collection machine (2) are provided with control units (100, 200) that can communicate with each other, a weight detection sensor (211) that detects the weight of the grass in the storage unit (8) of the dedicated grass collection machine (2), and the control unit (100) of the dedicated mowing machine (1) controls the average height (K) of the grass to be mowed, the mowing width (S) of the mowing means (5 ... controls the weight detection sensor (211) that detects the weight of the grass in the storage unit (8) of the dedicated grass collection machine (2). a lawngrass cutting status calculation means (111) for calculating the amount of lawngrass (Q) to be cut based on the weight value (Pr) of the lawngrass amount (Q) detected by the weight detection sensor (211) and a predetermined theoretical lawngrass density (ρt), and if the actual lawngrass density (ρr) is greater than the theoretical lawngrass density (ρt), an output is sent to the travel control unit (102) of the dedicated harvester (1) to reduce the working travel speed (V) ;
This work vehicle is characterized in that if the actual turfgrass density (ρr) is smaller than the theoretical turfgrass density (ρt), an output is provided to increase the work traveling speed (V).

The invention described in claim 2 is
The apparatus comprises a dedicated harvesting machine (1) that harvests turfgrass while traveling, and a dedicated grass collection machine (2) that collects and recovers turfgrass, the dedicated harvesting machine (1) and the dedicated grass collection machine (2) are provided with control units (100, 200) that can communicate with each other, a weight detection sensor (211) that detects the weight of turfgrass in a storage section (8) of the dedicated grass collection machine (2) and an accumulation detection sensor (215) that detects the amount of turfgrass accumulated in the storage section (8) are provided, a turfgrass density (ρr) is calculated from the amount of turfgrass accumulated (Qr) detected by the accumulation detection sensor (215) and the weight value (Pr) at that time, and when the actual turfgrass density (ρr) is compared with a predetermined theoretical turfgrass density (ρt) and the theoretical turfgrass density (ρt) is found to be greater than the theoretical turfgrass density (ρt), an output is given to a travel control unit (102) of the dedicated harvesting machine (1) to reduce the work travel speed (V) ;
This work vehicle is characterized in that if the actual turfgrass density (ρr) is smaller than the theoretical turfgrass density (ρt), an output is provided to increase the work traveling speed (V).

The invention described in claim 3 is the invention described in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the working travel speed of the grass collection machine 2 is adjusted based on the working travel speed of the harvesting machine 1.

According to the inventions of claims 1 and 2, the travel control unit 102 of the dedicated harvesting machine 1 corrects the working travel speed V by comparing the theoretical turfgrass density ρt with the actual turfgrass density ρr. Therefore, when it is determined that the actual turfgrass density ρr is greater than the theoretical turfgrass density ρt, the travel control unit 102 of the harvesting machine 1 is prompted to reduce the speed, thereby preventing overload on the dedicated harvesting machine 1. On the other hand, when it is determined that the actual turfgrass density ρr is less than the theoretical turfgrass density ρt, the travel control unit 102 of the harvesting machine 1 is prompted to increase the speed, which contributes to improving the working efficiency of the dedicated harvesting machine 1 and, in turn, the working efficiency of the grass collection machine 2.

According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effects described in claims 1 and 2, when mowing work involves grass collection, the entire work is completed when the grass collection is completed. Therefore, if the working speed of the dedicated mowing machine increases, the working speed of the dedicated grass collection machine can also be increased, improving the efficiency of the entire work and allowing the work to be completed more quickly. If the working speed of the dedicated mowing machine decreases, the working speed of the dedicated mowing machine can also be reduced, thereby reducing the waste caused by contact between working machines and work stoppages.

1 is a plan view showing an overview of a dedicated mower and a dedicated grass collector of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an overview of the dedicated reaping machine and dedicated grass collection machine of the work vehicle. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the work vehicle. 10 is a flowchart of the work vehicle. 10 is a flowchart of the work vehicle. 10 is a side view showing an overview of a dedicated reaping machine and a dedicated grass collecting machine of another example of the work vehicle. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the work vehicle. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an overview of the grass collection machine and disposal position of the work vehicle. 10A and 10B are side views of the grass collection container and grass collection machine of the work vehicle. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the grass collection container and grass collection machine of the work vehicle.

As shown in Figure 1, the work vehicle consists of a leading dedicated harvester 1 and a trailing dedicated grass collector 2. The dedicated harvester 1 is equipped with a cutting means 5 using a cutting blade inside a vehicle body 4 supported by front, rear, left and right running wheels 3. The cutting means 5 is of a known type and is configured to cut grass and the like to a predetermined mowing height.

The grass collection machine 2 is equipped with a vehicle body 7 supported by front, rear, left and right running wheels 6. The vehicle body 7 is fitted with a grass collection means 9, consisting of a rotary sweeping device and a blower device, which collects grass G scattered on the ground or in the field and sends it to a storage section 8 on top of the vehicle body 7. The storage section 8 is attached to the vehicle body 7 via a dumping means 10, and the grass sent to the storage section 8 is discharged by inverting the storage section 8 at a disposal location.

Both the dedicated harvesting machine 1 and the dedicated grass collection machine 2 are equipped with electric motors or engines as travel drive means and working unit drive means, allowing the travel unit and working unit to be driven independently.

Next, we will explain the configuration and functions of the control unit 100 of the dedicated harvesting machine 1 and the control unit 200 of the dedicated grass collection machine 2.

Control units 100 and 200 are each equipped with location information processing means 101, 201 that can receive positioning signals from a positioning satellite system and recognize the current location. Furthermore, both control units 100, 200 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via communication means 300, allowing them to send and receive information from each other.

The control unit 100 of the dedicated harvester 1 is equipped with a driving control unit 102 that performs steering based on the rotational speed of the traveling wheels 3 and the difference in left and right rotation speed, and is configured to be able to drive autonomously based on pre-entered work area information and round-trip route information. It is also configured to be able to drive for work while correcting the driving route by detecting the presence or absence of obstacles based on signals transmitted from the operator and detection signals from sensors etc. installed on the dedicated harvester 1 body 3. When the travel in the work area is completed, the drive force is turned off, and vehicle speed is controlled based on various information during work.

The control unit 100 of the dedicated harvester 1 is equipped with a work control unit 110. The work control unit 110 has a grass cutting status calculation means 111 that calculates the cutting operation based on input conditions such as the installation conditions of the cutting means 5, the planting status of the turfgrass, and the traveling state (speed) of the dedicated harvester 1. Specifically, it calculates the average height K of the grass to be cut based on the images captured by the imaging camera 112 in front of the vehicle body 4, and calculates the travel speed V and travel distance L based on information from the position information processing means 101. The amount (volume) of cut grass Q is then calculated using the cutting width S and cutting height Ka that are preset specific to the cutting means 5. In other words, Q is expressed as Q = S x (K - Ka) x L.

The turfgrass cutting status calculation means 111 can further calculate the weight of the cut turfgrass Pt by multiplying the turfgrass weight per unit volume, i.e., the turfgrass density ρt. That is, Pt = ρt x Q. Here, ρt is a pre-stored theoretical value, and the turfgrass weight Pt is also a predicted theoretical value. The calculation results of the turfgrass cutting status calculation means 111 are sent to the control unit 200 of the subsequent dedicated grass collection machine 2.

The control unit 200 of the grass collection machine 2 is equipped with a travel control unit 202 that controls the rotation speed and steering of the travel wheels 6. For example, the travel control unit 102 of the leading grass collection machine 1 calculates the travel trajectory R of the grass collection machine 1 and sends it to the control unit 200 of the grass collection machine 2. The travel control unit 202 of the control unit 200 then controls the rotation of the travel wheels 6 of the following grass collection machine 2 so that they follow the travel trajectory R. The control unit 200 also has a discharge movement control unit 214 that moves the grass to a disposal location when the machine is full, based on the determination result of the fullness determination means described below.

The control unit 200 of the grass collection machine 2 is equipped with an operation control unit 210. This operation control unit 210 receives a detection signal from a detection sensor 211 that detects the weight of the grass in the storage unit 8. It also includes a grass collection operation calculation means 212 that appropriately sets the rotation speed of the grass collection means 9's transfer device and the rotation speed of the blower device, and a fullness determination means 213 that determines whether the grass in the storage unit 8 has reached a predetermined weight.

Here, we will explain the relationship between the grass weight Pt communicated as the calculation result of the grass cutting status calculation means 111 and the weight Pr detected by the weight detection means 211, and the processing. The flowchart in Figure 4 shows general control for determining grass discharge by the grass collector 2. The grass collector 2 follows the travel path of the preceding dedicated harvester 1 to perform grass collection work (S101, S102). At a predetermined timing, the grass amount, i.e., volume Q, is calculated based on the cutting width S, grass height K, etc. (S103). Then, it is determined whether this grass amount Q is the amount Qmax that corresponds to the full capacity of the storage section 8 of the grass collector 2 (S104). Note that Qmax can be calculated using the formula Qmax = Pmax/ρt. However, since the value of Qmax that corresponds to the capacity of the storage section 8 can be preset, S104 can be replaced by determining whether the value of the weight detection sensor 211 has reached the full weight value (hereinafter referred to as the discharge weight value) Pmax. If it is determined in S104 that Qmax has been reached, the grass collection machine 2 stops, grass collection is interrupted, and the machine begins traveling toward a preset grass disposal position (S105, S106). Once it reaches the disposal position and discharges the grass from the storage section 8, the grass collection machine 2 travels toward the grass collection interruption position and resumes grass collection at this interruption position (S107-S111).

Then, calculation of the grass quantity Q is resumed (S112), and the fullness determination means 213 performs calculation control, i.e., determines whether Qmax has been reached (S113).

The fullness determination calculation control, which uses the grass weight detection sensor 211 to accurately determine whether the grass is full, will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 5. Through communication with the control unit 100 of the dedicated harvester 1, the control unit 200 of the dedicated grass collector 2 receives the grass density ρt, predicted weight Pt, etc. (S201). The discharge weight value Pmax, which is the weight of grass when the storage unit 8 is full, is calculated from the grass density ρt, predicted weight Pt, and the preset amount Qmax corresponding to when the storage unit 8 is full (S202). In other words, the discharge weight value Pmax is a predicted value calculated as ρt x Qmax.

The weight detection sensor 211 value Pr is read at a predetermined timing, and this measured weight Pr is compared with the predicted weight Pt communicated from the control unit 100 of the dedicated harvesting machine 1 (S203, S204). If the measured weight Pr is greater than the predicted weight Pt, it can be determined that the grass density ρr during the harvesting and collecting work is greater than the communicated grass density ρt (S205, S206), and Qmax can be replaced with Qmax plus α (S207). Furthermore, if it is determined in S207 that the actual grass density ρr is greater than the theoretical grass density ρt, a signal is sent to the travel control unit 102 of the harvesting machine 1 to issue a command to reduce speed (S208), thereby preventing overload on the dedicated harvesting machine 1. On the other hand, if the actual weight Pr is less than the predicted weight Pt in S205, it can be determined that the turfgrass density ρr during that mowing and grass collection operation is less than the communicated turfgrass density ρt (S209), and Qmax can be replaced with Qmax minus β (S210). When it is determined in S209 that the actual turfgrass density ρr is less than the theoretical turfgrass density ρt, information is sent to the travel control unit 102 of the mowing machine 1 to issue a command signal to increase speed (S211), which contributes to improving the working efficiency of the dedicated mowing machine 1 and, in turn, the grass collection machine 2. It can be determined that the mowing machine is full based on the full amount Qmax' after replacement in the processes of S207 and S210 (S212). That is, when the weight measured by the weight sensor 211 becomes the discharge weight value Pmax = ρt × Qmax', it is determined that the mowing machine is full.

Therefore, even if the turfgrass density ρ varies depending on the climate, the time of cutting work, and the turfgrass planting area, the amount of turfgrass supplied to the storage section 8 can be adjusted, improving work efficiency.

Next, with reference to Figure 7, we will explain the determination control configuration of the fullness determination means 213, which further improves the accuracy of grass collection. An accumulation detection sensor 215 is provided inside the storage unit 8 of the grass collection machine 2. The accumulation detection sensor 215 consists of multiple detectors 215a, 215b, and 215c arranged vertically, and each detector is activated by the pressure of the accumulated grass, detecting the gradually increasing amount of grass and outputting this information to the control unit 200. Note that when the top detector 215c detects, the storage unit 8 is detected as full, meaning the amount of grass in this case is Qmax. The flowchart in Figure 7 relates to the correction calculation control that corrects the turfgrass density ρt based on the accumulation detection sensor 212 and the weight detection sensor 211.

In Figure 7, when the grass collection machine 2 starts moving and begins grass collection work (S301), the control unit 200 of the grass collection machine 2 receives the turfgrass density ρt, predicted weight Pt, etc. through communication with the control unit 100 of the dedicated harvesting machine 1 (S302). Detection is performed by the accumulation detection sensor 215, and the sensor value Qr is read sequentially. At the same time that the highest detection unit 215c reaches Qmax, at which point the grass is detected, the sensor value (discharge weight value) Pmax of the weight detection sensor 211 is read (S303-S305). The turfgrass density ρ is then calculated. ρ = Pmax/Qmax is calculated, and this is stored as the initial turfgrass density ρ1 (S306). The grass collection work is temporarily interrupted, and the machine moves to an appropriate disposal location to perform the turfgrass discharge process (S307). The system then returns to the interrupted position within the planned grass cutting and collection area and resumes work, repeating steps S303 to S307, calculating and storing the turfgrass densities ρ2, ρ3, etc. for each Qmax.

Then, when grass collection work in the planned area is completed (S309), the average grass density ρ of the grass densities ρ1, ρ2...ρn obtained during the grass collection work is calculated and stored before work is stopped (S310). The average ρ can be calculated as (ρ1 + ρ2 +... +ρn)/n, but this is not limited to a simple average; weighted averages and other calculation methods are also acceptable. The calculated average ρ is sent to the control unit 100 of the dedicated harvester 1 and stored as a new theoretical grass density ρt along with various conditions such as location information and the date and time of grass collection and cutting.

The actual turfgrass densities ρ1, ρ2... (collectively referred to as ρr) calculated in S306 are compared with the theoretical turfgrass density ρt received in S302. In other words, turfgrass density ρr is calculated from the amount of turfgrass accumulation Qr detected by the accumulation detection sensor 215 and the weight value Pr at that time, and a comparison with the preset theoretical turfgrass density ρt is output to the travel control unit 102 of the dedicated harvesting machine 1 to correct the working travel speed V. If ρr is smaller than ρt, it is determined that the work load on the preceding harvesting machine 1 is low. Therefore, work efficiency can be improved by transmitting information to the travel control unit 102 of the preceding harvesting machine 1 to increase the working speed appropriately. Conversely, if ρr is greater than ρt, information is transmitted to reduce the working speed to prevent overload.

The travel control units 102, 202 of both dedicated grass collectors 1, 2 are linked so that the working speed of the dedicated grass collector 2 is adjusted based on the working speed of the dedicated harvester 1. In other words, the working speed of the dedicated grass collector 2 is adjusted up or down to follow the working speed of the leading dedicated harvester 1, and when the leading dedicated harvester 1 stops, the following dedicated grass collector 2 is stopped a predetermined interval later. With this configuration, when harvesting work involving grass collection is completed, the entire work is completed when the grass collection is completed. Therefore, if the working speed of the dedicated harvester increases, the working speed of the dedicated grass collector can also be increased, improving the efficiency of the entire work and allowing the work to be completed more quickly. If the working speed of the dedicated harvester decreases, the working speed of the dedicated harvester can be reduced, reducing the working speed of the dedicated harvester to prevent contact between the working machines and waste caused by work stoppages.

When traveling to the disposal location in S106 of Figure 4, the grass collection machine 2 body needs to be moved along a route to the disposal location that avoids uncut areas. Therefore, rather than following the shortest route, the route taken to the disposal location is memorized and this route is retraced to return to the interruption point, preventing entry into uncut areas.

Figure 8 shows an example of grass clippings being discharged at the disposal position. By shifting the discharge position in sequence, it is possible to avoid the grass piling up in the same place.

Figures 9 and 10 show a collection container 20 set up at the disposal position. When the grass collection machine 2 approaches this storage container 20 and extends the dump cylinder 21 to dump the storage section 8, the grass falls into the collection container 20 and is collected. An ultrasonic detection sensor is installed on the rear of the grass collection machine 2, and by sending and receiving irradiation signals T1, T2, etc., it is possible to recognize information such as the presence or absence of the collection container 20 and the distance from the collection container 20. This allows the width of the collection container 20 to be recognized and used to determine the appropriate discharge position for the detected width. Unforeseen circumstances such as the grass being dropped and discharged into a location where a collection container 20 does not exist can also be avoided.

1 Dedicated reaping machine 2 Dedicated grass collection machine 5 Reaping means 8 Storage unit 100 Control unit 102 Travel control unit 111 Grass-cutting status calculation means 200 Control unit 211 Weight detection sensor 215 Accumulation detection sensor K Average height Ka Mowing height L Travel distance Pr Detected weight value Pt Theoretical weight value Q Grass amount S Mowing width V Work travel speed ρt Theoretical grass density ρr Actual grass density

Claims (3)

The apparatus is provided with a dedicated reaping machine (1) that mows grass while traveling, and a dedicated grass collection machine (2) that collects and recovers grass, and the dedicated reaping machine (1) and the dedicated grass collection machine (2) are provided with control units (100, 200) that can communicate with each other, and a weight detection sensor (211) that detects the weight of the grass in the storage unit (8) of the dedicated grass collection machine (2) is provided, and the control unit (100) of the dedicated reaping machine (1) controls the average height (K) of the grass to be mowed, the mowing width (S) and mowing height (Ka) of the mowing means (5), the movement a lawngrass cutting status calculation means (111) for calculating the amount of lawngrass (Q) to be cut based on the moving distance (L), and when an actual lawngrass density (ρr) based on the weight value (Pr) of the lawngrass amount (Q) detected by the weight detection sensor (211) is compared with a predetermined theoretical lawngrass density (ρt) , and the actual lawngrass density (ρr) is found to be greater than the theoretical lawngrass density (ρt), an output is sent to the travel control unit (102) of the dedicated harvester (1) to reduce the working travel speed (V) ;
A work vehicle characterized in that, if the actual turfgrass density (ρr) is smaller than the theoretical turfgrass density (ρt), an output is provided to increase the work traveling speed (V) . The apparatus comprises a dedicated harvesting machine (1) that harvests turfgrass while traveling, and a dedicated grass collection machine (2) that collects and recovers turfgrass, the dedicated harvesting machine (1) and the dedicated grass collection machine (2) are provided with control units (100, 200) that can communicate with each other, a weight detection sensor (211) that detects the weight of turfgrass in a storage section (8) of the dedicated grass collection machine (2) and an accumulation detection sensor (215) that detects the amount of turfgrass accumulated in the storage section (8) are provided, a turfgrass density (ρr) is calculated from the amount of turfgrass accumulated (Qr) detected by the accumulation detection sensor (215) and the weight value (Pr) at that time, and when the actual turfgrass density (ρr) is compared with a predetermined theoretical turfgrass density (ρt) and the theoretical turfgrass density (ρt) is found to be greater than the theoretical turfgrass density (ρt), an output is given to a travel control unit (102) of the dedicated harvesting machine (1) to reduce the work travel speed (V) ;
A work vehicle characterized in that, if the actual turfgrass density (ρr) is smaller than the theoretical turfgrass density (ρt), an output is provided to increase the work traveling speed (V) . A work vehicle as described in claim 1 or claim 2, configured to adjust the working travel speed of the grass collection machine (2) based on the working travel speed of the harvesting machine (1).